The volcano rabbit—a shrinking distribution and a threatened habitat

Abstract

The first systematic search for the volcano rabbit, a Mexican endemic, found no evidence of the species outside the central region of the transverse neovolcanic axis around Mexico City, and reveals that the rabbit has now disappeared from areas of this central zone where it has been reported in the recent past. It depends for its survival on the pine forest—bunch grass ecosystem, and this is being destroyed by conversion to agriculture, over-grazing, fire-burns, poor forestry management and encroaching property developments. The authors make recommendations for the immediate protection of the remaining areas of core habitat and for further research.